Three Ways Dealers Can Avoid “Mobile Marketing Mayhem”

The accelerating rate of mobile usage is not a trend. It’s not going out of style and it’s certainly not reversing.

Mobile best practices need to be hard coded into the DNA of every brand, dealer, and marketer – guiding your digital strategy from this very micro-moment on. Mobile cannot be a segment of your marketing, it must be the core of it.

“Showrooming,” or shopping another dealer on a mobile device while physically at your dealership is an increasing challenge that can’t be ignored. If consumers are going to compare prices on their smartphones for a $20 item or an $800 item, the probability is even stronger that they’ll do the same for a $40,000-$50,000 item while on a dealer’s lot.

Mobile-driven shopping behavior is rapidly evolving from buying a T.V. at Best Buy to purchasing a vehicle at your dealership.

We’ve been in the space long enough to know that with all up-and-coming technologies come growing pains. Here are three ways to own mobile and avoid the problems that other marketers have faced.

1. Ensure You Have Access to Accurate, Real-Time Attribution Reporting

According to research, 41% of U.S. marketers said the lack of attribution transparency was one of the biggest, if not the biggest challenge of mobile advertising today. The ultimate goal for dealers and OEMs is to attribute every sale and every showroom visit to a single campaign or path at nearly 100% effectiveness, regardless of the device or media channel.

Dealers cannot realistically do this by themselves, but they can partner with providers to unite technology with intelligent data that executes well and has the attribution reporting to prove it. This is not as far-fetched as some might think.

2. Eliminate Extra Steps

Digital marketing can get complicated when you attempt to break down all the moving pieces that make up a comprehensive strategy. With mobile, it’s more simple. Think of a single goal your mobile campaign must accomplish.

For most, it should be to get a buyer into your showroom. Then, map out the easiest, most straightforward route to get there. The fewer pages, forms, and steps your audience has to navigate, the higher the chances of conversion.

According to eMarketer, over one-third of advertisers say users or consumers not converting on mobile is huge challenge. Friction is the enemy here. If a customer gets “stuck” in your process they will move on faster than you can say “Ferrari.”

Always put both speed and simplicity into play when it comes to increasing conversion rates on mobile. Focus on one goal, one call to action, and one destination – your dealership.

3. Zero-In on Buyers

Ninety percent of consumers leave their location services enabled. In addition, 61% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from mobile sites and apps that customize information to their location. Through location and behavioral targeting, dealers can take advantage of these built-in GPS systems by building consumer profiles that offer insight into who is in-market and ready to make a purchase, and who is still in the research phase of buying a car.

At the end of the day, great marketing is about one thing – relating to people. With all the information, analytics and tools available to us, we have an overly complicated, multi-faceted, omnichannel approach of simply trying to relate to people.

The evolution of mobile can be more simplistic. It’s about connecting with people on another level (that happens to be in their pocket, purse, or in their hands roughly 99% of the time).

Try not to blink. Before you know it, over 90% of showroom traffic will be attributable to a mobile device. Rather than being reactive, you want to be there and be ready!

**Example1

Free eBook – Auto Dealers and the State of Mobile Marketing 2016

Mobile customers expect to receive personalized messages and customized offers at the exact moment they’re in your neighborhood shopping for their next car. Give them what they want, when they want it and those customers will be yours.

About the Author

AutoHook has shattered the trend of vague industry metrics with concise attribution reporting that proves actual ROI. No other digital endeavor has come close to mastering AutoHook’s ability to attribute all showroom visits and sales to a single campaign while delivering show rates of up to twice the national average.

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Editors

Jeff Kershner

I’m the founder of DealerRefresh. I got my start in the dealer business when I was 18. From there I've worked throughout several departments within fixed to variable ops. Whether it’s managing the desk, perfecting sales process or studying online marketing and media trends, I absolutely love this business and the challenges it brings. On top of keeping up with DealerRefresh, I consult with dealerships and key industry businesses. My passion has been and continues to be helping dealers leverage new media to sell and improve customer service.

Alex Snyder

2019 marks Alex's 30th year in the car business. In that time he has had a front-row seat for the rise of the Internet and has been working to bring the online and offline dealership experience closer. Whether you knew him from his life at Checkered Flag or his years with Dealer.com/DealerTrack/Cox Alex has remained an opinionated DealerRefresh contributor who enjoys nothing more than to poke at the unsaid truths in our industry. He also helped found FRIKINtech.